Hyougemono 6

This translation is reserved for Kotonoha.

- 135 -

１５８０年１１月
播磨国・姫路城
（兵庫県姫路市）
November, 1580
Himeji Castle, Harima Province
(Himeji City, Hyogo Prevecture)

- 136 -

第六席　強き二人の茶事
The Sixth Ceremony: The Powerful Duo's Tea Party

- 137 -

唐物　熊川形青色　茶碗……！！
An imported Komogai* style blue tea bowl...!

まるで清水がペロンと器になったような淡青鮮やかな見事さ……!!
It has a pale blue clear beauty, as if spring water had become a bowl...!!

※朝鮮慶尚南道熊川港より搬出した茶碗。枇杷色の釉（うわぐすリ）がかかり緑が反る。
*Tea bowls exported from the port of Komogai, Keishounandou, Korea. A loquat-colored glaze is applied which changes to green.
{The Japanese language makes no clear distinction between blue and green.}

早よう頂かぬか！
Won't you drink soon!?

畏れ多くも羽柴様がお茶を点ててくださるというに!!
Hashiba-sama has graciously said that he will make the tea!!

まったく……愚息にござる……
Truly... you are my son...

養父亡き後は実父の私めが厳しく躾けてゆこうと思いまする……
After the death of your foster father, I, your true father, thought to relentless train you...

まあ　そう怒るな　重定
Well, don't be angry like that, Shigesada.

播州・三木城を落とした恩賞で上様より賜ったその唐物茶碗
As a reward for the fall of Miki Castle in Banshuu, His Majesty awarded me the imported tea bowl.

誰でも目が眩むわ
It would dazzle anyone.

- 138 -

信長様から羽柴様にお仕えし
You have gone from serving Nobunaga-sama to Hashiba-sama.

この重定まったく良くして頂いております……
I, Shigesada, have surely been favored...

ご恩返しとして左介にも忠義を尽くしてもらわねば……
To repay the favor, Sasuke, you, too, must serve faithfully...

ほれっ
Hey!

少し外してくれぬか重定
Would you leave for a little while, Shigesada?

まったく昔の者にて……
He is really an old-fashioned person...

ノリが古うて申し訳ありませぬ
Excuse his old-fashioned ways.

実父のおらん俺には羨ましい限りよ
I'm envious, I don't have a father.

ところで……
By the way...

先月おまえは明智殿の宴に出たそうだな
They say that last month, you attended Akechi-dono's party.

- 139 -

も……申し訳ありませぬ
I... I beg your pardon.

怒っとらん　怒っとらん
I'm not angry, I'm not angry.

それしきのことで左介が明智派閥に入ったとは思うておらん
Sasuke, I wouldn't have thought that you would have left me and joined Akechi's faction.

おまえと俺とは美濃攻略以来の古い仲だからな
You and I have been old friends since the capture of Mino.

信長様の命令で明智殿の丹後経略に従い……
By Nobunaga-sama's orders, you are serving in the administration of Akechi-dono's Tango province...

祝勝の宴に加わるのも当然のことよ
It was natural for you to join in the victory banquet.

知りたいのは明智殿が何を話していたか
What I want to know is what Akechi-dono said.

近畿五カ国を預かり　織田の家臣筆頭となった明智殿の考えをな
What his thoughts were on receiving the five provinces of Kinki, and becoming the head vassal of Oda.

近江
Oumi

丹後
Tango

丹波
Tanba

京
Kyoto

山城
Yamashiro

大和
Yamato

……そのためのもてなしだったか……
...Was that the purpose of this hospitality...

- 140 -

明智様の居城近江・坂本城に……
I was invited, along with my brother-in-law, Kiyohide Nakagawa,

ぞれがしは義兄・中川清秀とともに招かれましてござる……
to Sakamoto Castle, Akechi-dono's home castle...

羽柴のサルめは毛利に手こずっておるか！
Is that monkey, Hashiba, having a hard time handling the Mouri!

そうじゃろう　そうじゃろう!
Just so, just so!

信長様も我ら明智軍に任せればよいものを
Nobunaga-sama should let us of the Akechi army handle it.

まさか四国までサルに任せるわけではあるまいのう
By no means should he put that monkey in charge of four provinces.

- 141 -

それは断じてない！
Absolutely not!

上様は四国の長宗我部と織田の取次をしかと任されておるのだから！
Because our lord is certainly being assigned as the agent of the four provinces of Chousokabe and Oda!

近頃　俺は信長様のお考えがわからぬわ……
Lately, I haven't understood Nobunaga-sama's intentions...

右大臣の官位を朝廷に返上されたかと思えば……
Is the office of Minister of the Right going to be surrendered to the Imperial Court...?

安土に古今東西見たこともない城を建てる……
He's building a castle in Azuchi the likes of which have never been seen before in Kansai...

いったい何を目指しておられるのやら……
What in the world could he be intending to do...?

信長様は大きなお方でござる
Nobunaga-sama is a great man.

その大きさはこの島国にとどまりますまい
Such greatness probably won't be limited to this island nation.

- 142 -

ま……まさか……
You... you don't say...

朝鮮や明にまで勢力を広げると……
Extending his power to Korea and China...

バカげておる！！！
Foolishness!!!

そうじゃ！！
That's right!!

そのために働くのは我らぞ!!
It will be us that are sent on that mission!!

これまでもどれだけの血を流してきたことか！！
How much blood has already been shed!!

日の本の内なら　いざ知らず……
It may be possible within the Land of the Rising Sun...


明　朝鮮は進んだ国ぞ……
But China and Korea are advanced lands...

身の程を知らぬにも限りがある！
There are limits to not knowing your place!

我らの働きに図に乗っておるのよ信長様は……
Nobunaga-sama is pressing his luck in using us...

「うつけ」とはよく言ったものじゃ……
"Fool" is something that is often said...

手前はそれがしを侮辱しておるのか？
Are you insulting me?

- 143 -

それがしは信長様の直臣
I am Nobunaga-sama's direct vassal.

上様への侮辱はそれがしへの侮辱
An insult to His Majesty is an insult to me.

詫びろ　左介!!
Apologize, Sasuke!!

これは明智様の席ぞ！！
This is Akechi-sama's seat!!

- 144 -

それはこちらのほうだ
That would be over here.

古田殿に詫びろ秀満
Apologize to Furuta-dono, Hidemitsu.

し……
Bu...

しかし……
But...

- 145 -

不服のある者はその刀で私を斬るがよい
Whoever objects should behead me with that sword.

私は何も抗わん何も恨まん
I will not protest or curse.

さあ
Well.

- 146 -

決して信長様を悪く言うでない
I will never speak ill of Nobunaga-sama.

あの方ほど自他ともに厳しく真面目なお方はおらん
There is no one more severely honest with himself and others than him.

ある時……
One time...

信長様の留守をいいことに家中の者が浮かれていた
The whole family took advantage of the fact that Nobunaga-sama was absent and made merry.

- 147 -

戻られた信長様はそれを知り一同を処刑した……
When Nobunaga-sama returned, he knew this and executed everyone.

留守中の油断こそ国の危機と判断されたからだ
Because, it was judged that the negligence during his absence put the country in danger.

これを実行する大変さは大軍の将となって身に染みてわかる
The seriousness of performing this was drilled into him when he became the general of a great army.

信長様は一見常軌を逸しておられるように見えるが
Nobunaga-sama, at first glance, appears to have lost the proper path,

すべて真面目さゆえのことだ
But everything is a consequence of his seriousness.

そして真面目に働けば身分にかかわらず取り立ててくださる
And, if you work diligently, you will be promoted wihtout regard to your social position.

流浪の身であったこの光秀をここまで出世させてくださったご恩を忘れるな
Do not forget the debt of gratitude I owe him for promoting me, Mitsuhide, who had been exiled.

- 148 -

上様の忠義心……
My Lord's loyalty...

肝に銘じてござる
Is engraved in my heart.

この統率力……洞察力……
This leadership... this insight...

さすがは織田随一のキレ者明智光秀
It's just what I'd expect of Oda's sharpest mind, Mitsuhide Akechi.

皆の不平は胸に納めておく
I shall keep in mind everyone's complaints.

気分を変えよう
Le'ts change the mood.

茶を用意いたす
I will prepare the tea.

……来た！！
...Finally!!

あの「八角釜」が拝める!!
I can worship the "Hakkakugama*!!"
{*Eight sided kettle}

- 149 -

それでこそここへ来た甲斐があるというもの……！！
That alone will make coming here worth it...!!

信長様から拝領し明智様の茶会で披露されたというあの……
That, which Nobunaga-sama bestowed, and which debuted at Akechi-sama's tea party...

あの名物「ハ角釜」をこの目で……！！
To see that famous object, "Hakkakugama," with these eyes!!

- 151 -

八角釜じゃない……!!
It's not Hakkakugama...!!

あれは……
That is...

ただの真形釜……
a common shinnarigama...

- 152 -

釜の話などどうでもよいわ
I couldn't care less about this talk of teakettles.

その後明智殿はなんと……
What did Akechi-dono say after that?

いえ……皆で茶を喫み……
Nothing... We all drank the tea...

祝いの席はほどなく終わりました
The celebratory feast ended shortly afterwards.

そうか……
Is that right...?

明智殿はたしかに言ったのだな
Akechi-dono said it, you're sure?

「不平は胸に納めておく」と
"I shall keep in mind everyone's complaints."

- 153 -

いや　左介……
Never mind. Sasuke...

俺から尋ねといて悪いが……
I shouldn't ask it, but...

そんな話じゃ明智殿の考えなどちぃーともわからんわ!
I don't understand Akechi-dono's thoughts in that story at all!

わかったのは俺と同じく忠義者ということだけよ！
All I understand is that he is just as loyal as I am!

なぜだ……
Why...

- 154 -

ともに公ではない茶事なれど
They were both informal tea parties...

羽柴様は信長様から拝領したものを出し……
But Hashiba-sama brought out something bestowed on him by Nobunaga-sama...

明智様は出さなかった
And Akechi-sama did not.

信長様を尊べと申されるなら
If he says to esteem Nobunaga-sama,

なおさら拝領の茶器でもてなすべきでは……
That is all the more reason for him to offer hospitality with the tea utensils bestowed on him.

明智様とて名物をいくつも持つ数奇者
Akechi-sama is a connoisseur who has many famous items.

使い方を知らぬわけではあるまいに……
It probably isn't because he doesn't know how to use them...

俺にはいまひとつ……
For me, there is now one thing...

明智光秀という武将がわからぬ……
That I don't understand about the military commander called Mitsuhide Akechi...